<p>Two militants were killed on Friday (December 2) during an attack in Kabul, near the office of Hezb-e-Islami—a political party associated with former Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, news agency AFP reported citing four sources.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ghairat Baheer, who is an official with the Hizb-e-Islami party, told the news agency that two attackers were killed as they tried to enter the Kabul building, which also houses a mosque.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Baheer said: "The car detonated outside, so there was little damage." As per the media reports,&nbsp;Hekmatyar was there in the building but was unhurt. He served as prime minister in the 1990s.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/shehbaz-sharif-condemns-assassination-attempt-on-pakistans-head-of-mission-to-afghanistan-in-kabul-539484">Shehbaz Sharif condemns 'assassination attempt' on Pakistan's Head of Mission to Afghanistan in Kabul</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Baheer stated that the militants opened fire at the guards and two of them were injured.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Reports have mentioned that&nbsp;Hekmatyar delivers Friday sermons at his party central office in Kabul.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;WION Dispatch | Pakistan: General Asim Munir takes over as 17th Chief of Army Staff&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<p>Obaidullah Muddabir, who is a senior district police officer, also confirmed that two attackers had been killed.</p>

<p>Notably, Muddabir also said he believed the third one, who reportedly escaped, had been captured.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I am outside the compound... the situation is under control," he said.</p>

<p>He added: "The guards at Hizb-e-Islami office told us that there were three attackers. They killed two while one was injured before they reached the target."&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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Two militants were killed on Friday (December 2) during an attack in Kabul, near the office of Hezb-e-Islami—a political party associated with former Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, news agency AFP reported citing four sources.

Two militants were killed on Friday (December 2) during an attack in Kabul, near the office of Hezb-e-Islami—a political party associated with former Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, news agency AFP reported citing four sources. Ghairat Baheer, who is an official with the Hizb-e-Islami party, told the news agency that two attackers were killed as they tried to enter the Kabul building, which also houses a mosque. Baheer said: "The car detonated outside, so there was little damage." As per the media reports, Hekmatyar was there in the building but was unhurt. He served as prime minister in the 1990s. ALSO READ | Shehbaz Sharif condemns 'assassination attempt' on Pakistan's Head of Mission to Afghanistan in Kabul Baheer stated that the militants opened fire at the guards and two of them were injured. Reports have mentioned that Hekmatyar delivers Friday sermons at his party central office in Kabul. WATCH | WION Dispatch | Pakistan: General Asim Munir takes over as 17th Chief of Army Staff × Obaidullah Muddabir, who is a senior district police officer, also confirmed that two attackers had been killed. Notably, Muddabir also said he believed the third one, who reportedly escaped, had been captured. "I am outside the compound... the situation is under control," he said. He added: "The guards at Hizb-e-Islami office told us that there were three attackers. They killed two while one was injured before they reached the target." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Car blast near office of former Afghan PM Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, two militants killed

Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai urged people to stay in their homes, stating that he is working to resolve issues with the militant group through dialogue. Karzai has formed a committee with Abdullah Abdullah and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar for the smooth transition of power to the Taliban.

Taliban in Kabul: Hamid Karzai forms transition council with Abdullah and Hekmatyar

The people of Afghanistan have been historically fighting for the last 34 years, says Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Ex-PM Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Former afghan PM Gulbuddin Hekmatyar Speaks to WION

Old rivals square up again as an uncertain Afghanistan votes

<p>Afghanistan`s former Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar on Sunday lauded Pakistan's role in the Afghan peace process, during a visit to the country for a conference.</p>

<p>"Pakistan is a very important country and Islamabad could play a key role in bringing peace in Afghanistan and now they are doing it," the former Prime Minister told Anadolu Agency in Bhurban.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He also appreciated Pakistan`s role in "bringing Taliban to the negotiating table," the Turkish state-run news agency reported."I praised Pakistan`s sincere efforts and I am sure they will continue its help to bring peace in our country," Hekmatyar said.</p>

<p>The 71-year-old leader was received by Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi upon his arrival to the country on Saturday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>57 other Afghan leaders accompanied Hekmatyar during his visit for a peace conference."We welcome every country and individual who is taking any step for peace in Afghanistan. War always ends with peace and now the war in our country will also end with peace," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He also demanded the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan, outlining that the Afghan people need to "decide their future."</p>


Afghanistan`s former Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar on Sunday lauded Pakistan's role in the Afghan peace process, during a visit to the country for a conference.

Afghanistan`s former Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar on Sunday lauded Pakistan's role in the Afghan peace process, during a visit to the country for a conference. "Pakistan is a very important country and Islamabad could play a key role in bringing peace in Afghanistan and now they are doing it," the former Prime Minister told Anadolu Agency in Bhurban. He also appreciated Pakistan`s role in "bringing Taliban to the negotiating table," the Turkish state-run news agency reported."I praised Pakistan`s sincere efforts and I am sure they will continue its help to bring peace in our country," Hekmatyar said. The 71-year-old leader was received by Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi upon his arrival to the country on Saturday. 57 other Afghan leaders accompanied Hekmatyar during his visit for a peace conference."We welcome every country and individual who is taking any step for peace in Afghanistan. War always ends with peace and now the war in our country will also end with peace," he added. He also demanded the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan, outlining that the Afghan people need to "decide their future."

Former Afghan Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar praises Pakistan's role in peace process

<p>Afghans were dealt a blast from the past one morning late last week: Newspapers front paged a photograph of President Ashraf Ghani and his Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah flanking the man widely reviled as the Butcher of Kabul, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. Also in the picture was former president Hamid Karzai.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Hekmatyar&#39;s return to Kabul after 20 years of exile could be described as nothing less than triumphant. He rolled into the city in a convoy of vehicles with his armed Hezb-I-Islami fighters in tow. Apparently, his murderous shelling of Kabul in the 1990s civil war was no longer an issue, which suggests that the Afghan pot is churning again with uncertain consequences for India. But more on that later. Let&#39;s look at some other developments.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This week the Pentagon will shoot off a set of recommendations on Afghanistan to President Trump: The buzz in the US media is about the military proposing to send at least 5000 more troops to that country to add to the 8,400 already there. The troops will be largely &quot;trainers&quot; for the Afghan military. &nbsp;</p>

<p>It doesn&#39;t take a genius to figure out that when the US was not able to sort out the Taliban with 100,000 troops, it cannot do so with 13,500. At the same time, Trump apparently has given his &nbsp;military brass full freedom on Afghanistan. The only caveat is the US should not end up looking defeated.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This comment from Gen. Raymond Thomas of the US Special Operations Command provides insights into the army&#39;s thinking. &nbsp;He said the critical factor in Afghanistan was the US commitment to &ldquo;a sound enduring state&rdquo; which he said, was &ldquo;not described effectively&rdquo; in the past. &ldquo;I think our new strategy is going to establish that definition.&rdquo; &nbsp;</p>

<p>Sameer Lalwani and Travis Wheeler of the Stimson Center, who write&nbsp;in the online magazine The Wire, said the US is hoping to achieve &quot;strategic effects&quot; in Afghanistan, meaning, &quot;the US could use force not simply to reverse battlefield gains by the Taliban but instead could pursue a lasting political settlement.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>That point had been underscored by Richard Olson, former US Special Representative for AfPak, in an op-ed piece in the New York Times where he suggested that a political settlement might be possible allowing (and this is important) for reconciliation and Taliban entrance into the Afghan state!&nbsp;</p>

<p>Finally we have it: The US maybe preparing to do what was until now considered unthinkable, shake hands with the Taliban. &nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>The US maybe preparing to do what was until now considered unthinkable, shake hands with the Taliban.</h5>
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<p>The pundits would say Washington is rather belatedly waking up to &nbsp;the realities of its 17 year Afghan adventure. The Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction recently reported to the US Congress, that Taliban shadow governments now operate in virtually every province and control some of them, like Helmand. Government centres throughout the country are under constant pressure from Taliban insurgents. &nbsp;Violence throughout 2016 and in the first quarter of this year, have reached their highest level since 2007. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>Afghanistan&#39;s neighbours appear to have woken up to this much earlier. Russia and China have been talking to the Taliban, apparently seeing them as less of a threat than the Islamic State. This is happening when the Islamic State&#39;s presence in eastern Afghanistan is at a nascent stage, there is no great territory it controls and its rank and file appear to be disgruntled elements from other insurgent factions including the Taliban. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Even Shia Iran appears to have come on board to support the Sunni Taliban. There are reports of Taliban leaders being sighted in Kerman, Yazd and Mashad in Iran. Also that the Taliban shura has been allowed to operate since 2012 from Zahedan in south-east Iran bordering Afghanistan. The Afghan government says Taliban leaders cross over into Iran with valid visas on their passports. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, incidentally, is reported to have been living in Iran for the last seven years despite his anti-Shia proclivites. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>South Asia writer Ramtanu Maitra of the Executive Intelligence Review, underscores a crucial point, that Saudi financial largesse for the Taliban maybe drying up, the money now shifting to support the Islamic State. &nbsp;Reports of IS cadres seeking to expand their influence in the Afghan provinces of Zabul, Wardak and Ghazni have been persistent. Maitra points to Russian reports that the IS is infiltrating into Helmand with an eye on controlling the heroin trafficking network there. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Afghanistan&#39;s neighbours, it seems, see the Taliban as the lesser of the two evils: Although Islamist and conservative, it is an Afghan movement. The Taliban in turn, may find it convenient to moderate its policies in order to draw the support of neighbours as it seeks to ward off the challenge of the Islamic State.&nbsp;<br />
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<h5>The Taliban in turn, may find it convenient to moderate its policies in order to draw the support of neighbours as it seeks to ward off the challenge of the Islamic State.&nbsp;</h5>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Where does this leave India? Publicly, India&#39;s policy is no truck with the Taliban. The group is seen in India as Pakistan&#39;s child, an Islamist &nbsp;terror outfit bent on fomenting discord and violence across the region. But does that imply no contact at all with the group? &nbsp;Indian diplomats have indicated privately in the past that the Taliban was not known to target India funded development projects. In 2010 Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the movement was not in direct conflict with India and wanted normal relations. &nbsp;This even while claiming responsibility for the attack on a Kabul hotel in Feb 2010 in which seven Indians were killed. &nbsp;</p>

<p>In 2013, the former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan Abdul Salam Zaeef was in Goa to attend the litfest. Reports at that time said Indian intelligence agencies insisted that he get a visa. Zaeef was picked up by the Pakistanis as the US moved into Afghanistan in the wake of 9/11. He spent time in Guantanamo Bay and the book he wrote after his release is scathing in its references to Islamabad. India is hardly mentioned. Ambassador Zaeef told me in an interview in Kabul some years ago that India did wrong by backing the Soviet occupation of his country and supporting the late President Najibullah. But he also acknowledged India never sent troops to Afghanistan. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Lalwani and Wheeler make the point that an Afghan settlement involving the Taliban could in the long term help India. Currently, Washington&#39;s South Asia focus is driven largely by AfPak with Islamabad exercising considerable leverage in the relationship. &nbsp;</p>

<p>This stems partly from Washington&#39;s reliance on Pakistan to ensure smooth flow of supplies to its forces in Afghanistan. Also partly because the Pakistan-US partnership is an old one, dating back to the 1950s; in the &nbsp;Pentagon and State Department there are &quot;Pakistan hands&quot;; there are individual and institutional relationships; most important the Pakistani military and its intelligence agencies provide valuable support to the US even today. &nbsp;Such ties provide the balance when the outcry against Pakistani involvement and connivance with terror groups gets louder.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Lalwani and Wheeler believe this interdependence will diminish considerably after an Afghan settlement no longer requires the presence of US forces. The US may then be more inclined to crack down on Pakistan-backed terror groups, including those directed against India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There is also the point that with its military capacities being significantly augmented, India may have little to fear from the Taliban. If the group does provide sanctuaries and safe haven to terror groups, India can easily target them. Which brings me back to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and the churning of the Afghan pot. His anti-India inclinations are well known but sitting in Kabul with a stake in the power structure could transform old attitudes. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Taliban, for all its faults, remains an Afghan movement. It is also, going by various reports, splintered and therefore difficult for Pakistan to control. It probably explains Pakistan&#39;s support for other groups, including the Haqqani network, Al-Qaeda (apparently Pakistan is hiding its chief Ayman Zawahiri in Karachi), besides covertly encouraging the rise of the Islamic State in Afghanistan. India needs to play its cards deftly in this new phase of the Afghan Great Game. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


With the return of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the Afghan pot is churning again with uncertain consequences for India.

Afghans were dealt a blast from the past one morning late last week: Newspapers front paged a photograph of President Ashraf Ghani and his Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah flanking the man widely reviled as the Butcher of Kabul, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. Also in the picture was former president Hamid Karzai. Hekmatyar's return to Kabul after 20 years of exile could be described as nothing less than triumphant. He rolled into the city in a convoy of vehicles with his armed Hezb-I-Islami fighters in tow. Apparently, his murderous shelling of Kabul in the 1990s civil war was no longer an issue, which suggests that the Afghan pot is churning again with uncertain consequences for India. But more on that later. Let's look at some other developments. This week the Pentagon will shoot off a set of recommendations on Afghanistan to President Trump: The buzz in the US media is about the military proposing to send at least 5000 more troops to that country to add to the 8,400 already there. The troops will be largely "trainers" for the Afghan military. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that when the US was not able to sort out the Taliban with 100,000 troops, it cannot do so with 13,500. At the same time, Trump apparently has given his military brass full freedom on Afghanistan. The only caveat is the US should not end up looking defeated. This comment from Gen. Raymond Thomas of the US Special Operations Command provides insights into the army's thinking. He said the critical factor in Afghanistan was the US commitment to “a sound enduring state” which he said, was “not described effectively” in the past. “I think our new strategy is going to establish that definition.” Sameer Lalwani and Travis Wheeler of the Stimson Center, who write in the online magazine The Wire, said the US is hoping to achieve "strategic effects" in Afghanistan, meaning, "the US could use force not simply to reverse battlefield gains by the Taliban but instead could pursue a lasting political settlement." That point had been underscored by Richard Olson, former US Special Representative for AfPak, in an op-ed piece in the New York Times where he suggested that a political settlement might be possible allowing (and this is important) for reconciliation and Taliban entrance into the Afghan state! Finally we have it: The US maybe preparing to do what was until now considered unthinkable, shake hands with the Taliban. The US maybe preparing to do what was until now considered unthinkable, shake hands with the Taliban. × The pundits would say Washington is rather belatedly waking up to the realities of its 17 year Afghan adventure. The Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction recently reported to the US Congress, that Taliban shadow governments now operate in virtually every province and control some of them, like Helmand. Government centres throughout the country are under constant pressure from Taliban insurgents. Violence throughout 2016 and in the first quarter of this year, have reached their highest level since 2007. Afghanistan's neighbours appear to have woken up to this much earlier. Russia and China have been talking to the Taliban, apparently seeing them as less of a threat than the Islamic State. This is happening when the Islamic State's presence in eastern Afghanistan is at a nascent stage, there is no great territory it controls and its rank and file appear to be disgruntled elements from other insurgent factions including the Taliban. Even Shia Iran appears to have come on board to support the Sunni Taliban. There are reports of Taliban leaders being sighted in Kerman, Yazd and Mashad in Iran. Also that the Taliban shura has been allowed to operate since 2012 from Zahedan in south-east Iran bordering Afghanistan. The Afghan government says Taliban leaders cross over into Iran with valid visas on their passports. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, incidentally, is reported to have been living in Iran for the last seven years despite his anti-Shia proclivites. South Asia writer Ramtanu Maitra of the Executive Intelligence Review, underscores a crucial point, that Saudi financial largesse for the Taliban maybe drying up, the money now shifting to support the Islamic State. Reports of IS cadres seeking to expand their influence in the Afghan provinces of Zabul, Wardak and Ghazni have been persistent. Maitra points to Russian reports that the IS is infiltrating into Helmand with an eye on controlling the heroin trafficking network there. Afghanistan's neighbours, it seems, see the Taliban as the lesser of the two evils: Although Islamist and conservative, it is an Afghan movement. The Taliban in turn, may find it convenient to moderate its policies in order to draw the support of neighbours as it seeks to ward off the challenge of the Islamic State. The Taliban in turn, may find it convenient to moderate its policies in order to draw the support of neighbours as it seeks to ward off the challenge of the Islamic State. × Where does this leave India? Publicly, India's policy is no truck with the Taliban. The group is seen in India as Pakistan's child, an Islamist terror outfit bent on fomenting discord and violence across the region. But does that imply no contact at all with the group? Indian diplomats have indicated privately in the past that the Taliban was not known to target India funded development projects. In 2010 Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the movement was not in direct conflict with India and wanted normal relations. This even while claiming responsibility for the attack on a Kabul hotel in Feb 2010 in which seven Indians were killed. In 2013, the former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan Abdul Salam Zaeef was in Goa to attend the litfest. Reports at that time said Indian intelligence agencies insisted that he get a visa. Zaeef was picked up by the Pakistanis as the US moved into Afghanistan in the wake of 9/11. He spent time in Guantanamo Bay and the book he wrote after his release is scathing in its references to Islamabad. India is hardly mentioned. Ambassador Zaeef told me in an interview in Kabul some years ago that India did wrong by backing the Soviet occupation of his country and supporting the late President Najibullah. But he also acknowledged India never sent troops to Afghanistan. Lalwani and Wheeler make the point that an Afghan settlement involving the Taliban could in the long term help India. Currently, Washington's South Asia focus is driven largely by AfPak with Islamabad exercising considerable leverage in the relationship. This stems partly from Washington's reliance on Pakistan to ensure smooth flow of supplies to its forces in Afghanistan. Also partly because the Pakistan-US partnership is an old one, dating back to the 1950s; in the Pentagon and State Department there are "Pakistan hands"; there are individual and institutional relationships; most important the Pakistani military and its intelligence agencies provide valuable support to the US even today. Such ties provide the balance when the outcry against Pakistani involvement and connivance with terror groups gets louder. Ambassador Zaeef told me in an interview in Kabul some years ago that India did wrong by backing the Soviet occupation of his country and supporting the late President Najibullah. × Lalwani and Wheeler believe this interdependence will diminish considerably after an Afghan settlement no longer requires the presence of US forces. The US may then be more inclined to crack down on Pakistan-backed terror groups, including those directed against India. There is also the point that with its military capacities being significantly augmented, India may have little to fear from the Taliban. If the group does provide sanctuaries and safe haven to terror groups, India can easily target them. Which brings me back to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and the churning of the Afghan pot. His anti-India inclinations are well known but sitting in Kabul with a stake in the power structure could transform old attitudes. The Taliban, for all its faults, remains an Afghan movement. It is also, going by various reports, splintered and therefore difficult for Pakistan to control. It probably explains Pakistan's support for other groups, including the Haqqani network, Al-Qaeda (apparently Pakistan is hiding its chief Ayman Zawahiri in Karachi), besides covertly encouraging the rise of the Islamic State in Afghanistan. India needs to play its cards deftly in this new phase of the Afghan Great Game. (WION)

Afghan Great Game changes with the return of 'Butcher of Kabul'

<p>The UN Security Council has lifted sanctions on the notorious Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, previously branded &quot;a global terrorist&quot; and accused of war crimes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The move follows a peace deal between Hekmatyar&#39;s insurgent group Hezb-i-Islami and the Afghan government in September that granted him legal immunity from past offences, sparking outrage from rights groups.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Although Hekmatyar is accused of killing thousands in Kabul during the 1992-1996 civil war, many foreign governments, including the United States, praised the landmark accord as a step towards peace in Afghanistan.</p>

<p>A statement on the UNSC&#39;s website Friday said an assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo targeting Hekmatyar -- a former prime minister and one of the most controversial figures in Afghanistan&#39;s modern history -- no longer applied.</p>

<p>Diplomatic sources said only Russia had opposed the move, which theoretically opens the way for Hekmatyar&#39;s return to Kabul after two decades of exile in Iran and then in Pakistan.</p>

<p>France was initially reluctant because of Hezb-i-Islami&#39;s involvement in an ambush northeast of Kabul that cost the lives of 10 French soldiers in August 2008, but later changed its mind.</p>

<p>&quot;It is an important point of the peace agreement between Hezb-i-Islami and the Afghan government,&quot; chief negotiator for Hekmatyar, Mohammad Karim Amin, told AFP.</p>

<p>&quot;And it shows the commitment from the government and from the Hezb-i-Islami to pursue on this peace track,&quot; Karim said.</p>

<p>It would also &quot;open the door&quot; and stimulate the peace process and would send a &quot;strong signal to other fighters&quot; in the country, he said in reference to the Taliban.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He further said that it showed &quot;the only key to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict is through an inter-Afghan negotiation without any foreign interference&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;We always said his return (Hekmatyar) won&#39;t be linked to the lift of the sanction but obviously it will widely ease it,&quot; Karim said.</p>

<p>The whereabouts of Hekmatyar, who was not present in Kabul for the signing of the agreement that was completed via video conference -- remains unknown.</p>

<p>Hekmatyar was a prominent anti-Soviet commander in the 1980s and a major figure during the bloody civil war of the 1990s when he was accused of indiscriminately firing rockets into Kabul, as well as other human rights abuses.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In recent years the insurgent conflict has been led by the Taliban.</p>

<p>Hekmatyar is believed to be in hiding in Pakistan, but his group claims he remains in Afghanistan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With the UN sanctions now scrapped, government officials expect Hekmatyar to return to the Afghan capital.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hezb-i-Islami has been trying to repair Hekmatyar&#39;s public image as a murderous warlord as it attempts to rebrand from a radical, misogynistic movement to a mainstream political force.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>(AFP)</p>


The move follows a peace deal between Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's insurgent group Hezb-i-Islami and the Afghan government

The UN Security Council has lifted sanctions on the notorious Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, previously branded "a global terrorist" and accused of war crimes. The move follows a peace deal between Hekmatyar's insurgent group Hezb-i-Islami and the Afghan government in September that granted him legal immunity from past offences, sparking outrage from rights groups. Although Hekmatyar is accused of killing thousands in Kabul during the 1992-1996 civil war, many foreign governments, including the United States, praised the landmark accord as a step towards peace in Afghanistan. A statement on the UNSC's website Friday said an assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo targeting Hekmatyar -- a former prime minister and one of the most controversial figures in Afghanistan's modern history -- no longer applied. Diplomatic sources said only Russia had opposed the move, which theoretically opens the way for Hekmatyar's return to Kabul after two decades of exile in Iran and then in Pakistan. France was initially reluctant because of Hezb-i-Islami's involvement in an ambush northeast of Kabul that cost the lives of 10 French soldiers in August 2008, but later changed its mind. "It is an important point of the peace agreement between Hezb-i-Islami and the Afghan government," chief negotiator for Hekmatyar, Mohammad Karim Amin, told AFP. "And it shows the commitment from the government and from the Hezb-i-Islami to pursue on this peace track," Karim said. It would also "open the door" and stimulate the peace process and would send a "strong signal to other fighters" in the country, he said in reference to the Taliban. He further said that it showed "the only key to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict is through an inter-Afghan negotiation without any foreign interference". "We always said his return (Hekmatyar) won't be linked to the lift of the sanction but obviously it will widely ease it," Karim said. The whereabouts of Hekmatyar, who was not present in Kabul for the signing of the agreement that was completed via video conference -- remains unknown. Hekmatyar was a prominent anti-Soviet commander in the 1980s and a major figure during the bloody civil war of the 1990s when he was accused of indiscriminately firing rockets into Kabul, as well as other human rights abuses. In recent years the insurgent conflict has been led by the Taliban. Hekmatyar is believed to be in hiding in Pakistan, but his group claims he remains in Afghanistan. With the UN sanctions now scrapped, government officials expect Hekmatyar to return to the Afghan capital. Hezb-i-Islami has been trying to repair Hekmatyar's public image as a murderous warlord as it attempts to rebrand from a radical, misogynistic movement to a mainstream political force. (AFP)

UN lifts sanctions on Afghan warlord who was previously branded as 'global terrorist'

<p>Afghan president Ashraf Ghani formalised a controversial accord with one of Afghanistan&#39;s most notorious warlords on Wednesday, a deal the government hopes will lead to more peace agreements.</p>

<p>Surrounded by hundreds of Afghan officials, many former warlords and rivals themselves, Ghani signed a pact that opens the door to the militant faction of Hezb-i-Islami, led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, playing an active role in politics.</p>

<p>Despite the rhetoric of unity, Hekmatyar was not present and addressed a gathering in Kabul in a recorded video message, appearing by himself to sign the document in a small room.</p>

<p>&quot;With this agreement, I hope to put an end to the current crisis in the country,&quot; Hekmatyar said in his message.</p>

<p>&quot;I call on all sides to support this peace deal and I call on the opposition parties of the government to join the peace process and pursue their goals through peaceful means.&quot;</p>

<p>A controversial figure from the insurgency against the Soviets in the 1980s and the civil wars of the 1990s, Hekmatyar has been designated a &quot;global terrorist&quot; by the United States, which has been leading an international military mission in Afghanistan for the past 15 years.</p>

<p>&quot;We hope that the day comes when foreign interference has ended, foreign troops have departed fully from Afghanistan, and peace has been achieved,&quot; Hekmatyar said.</p>

<p>Hekmatyar, who served as prime minister in the 1990s, before the rise to power of the Taliban, has long been known as close to neighbouring Pakistan.</p>

<p>His faction of Hezb-i-Islami has played a relatively small role in the current conflict, in which the Taliban have a leading role in battling the Western-backed government in Kabul.</p>

<p>But government officials hope the accord will be a first step toward eventually making similar peace deals with the Taliban and other groups.</p>

<p>&quot;This is a chance for the Taliban and other militant groups to show what their decision is: To be with people and join the respected caravan of peace, like Hezb-i-Islami, or confront the people and continue the bloodshed,&quot; Ghani said.</p>

<p>Peace talks with the Taliban, the largest insurgent group, have yet to get off the ground, but both sides have said they are open to the idea.</p>

<p>Human rights groups as well as many Afghans expressed dismay that Hekmatyar is unlikely to face any punishment for his alleged role in past abuses, including firing rockets into civilian areas during a civil war in an attack that killed and injured thousands of residents.</p>

<p>Hekmatyar&#39;s return &quot;will compound the culture of impunity&quot;, said Human Rights Watch researcher Patricia Gossman, who called it an &quot;affront&quot; to victims of abuses when the initial deal was struck last week.<br />
<br />
(Reuters)</p>


The pact opens the door to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's Hezb-i-Islami playing an active role in politics.

Afghan president Ashraf Ghani formalised a controversial accord with one of Afghanistan's most notorious warlords on Wednesday, a deal the government hopes will lead to more peace agreements. Surrounded by hundreds of Afghan officials, many former warlords and rivals themselves, Ghani signed a pact that opens the door to the militant faction of Hezb-i-Islami, led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, playing an active role in politics. Despite the rhetoric of unity, Hekmatyar was not present and addressed a gathering in Kabul in a recorded video message, appearing by himself to sign the document in a small room. "With this agreement, I hope to put an end to the current crisis in the country," Hekmatyar said in his message. "I call on all sides to support this peace deal and I call on the opposition parties of the government to join the peace process and pursue their goals through peaceful means." A controversial figure from the insurgency against the Soviets in the 1980s and the civil wars of the 1990s, Hekmatyar has been designated a "global terrorist" by the United States, which has been leading an international military mission in Afghanistan for the past 15 years. "We hope that the day comes when foreign interference has ended, foreign troops have departed fully from Afghanistan, and peace has been achieved," Hekmatyar said. Hekmatyar, who served as prime minister in the 1990s, before the rise to power of the Taliban, has long been known as close to neighbouring Pakistan. His faction of Hezb-i-Islami has played a relatively small role in the current conflict, in which the Taliban have a leading role in battling the Western-backed government in Kabul. But government officials hope the accord will be a first step toward eventually making similar peace deals with the Taliban and other groups. "This is a chance for the Taliban and other militant groups to show what their decision is: To be with people and join the respected caravan of peace, like Hezb-i-Islami, or confront the people and continue the bloodshed," Ghani said. Peace talks with the Taliban, the largest insurgent group, have yet to get off the ground, but both sides have said they are open to the idea. Human rights groups as well as many Afghans expressed dismay that Hekmatyar is unlikely to face any punishment for his alleged role in past abuses, including firing rockets into civilian areas during a civil war in an attack that killed and injured thousands of residents. Hekmatyar's return "will compound the culture of impunity", said Human Rights Watch researcher Patricia Gossman, who called it an "affront" to victims of abuses when the initial deal was struck last week. (Reuters)

Afghan warlord signs peace deal with government, calls for an 'end to current crisis'